Seeing the Lord

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” Lk. 10:23-24

A blessing indeed it is to see the Lord.  A skeptic might ask me, "So you see him, do you?"  To which I would emphatically respond "Amen!"

We live in a world that demands evidence: it is a world in which one must see in order to believe.  I am reminded years ago of a professor I had who taught me, in a roundabout way, an important lesson about "seeing."  His philosophy was certainly that seeing is believing.  However, he had learned to see with the minds eye above and beyond what normally counted for evidence.  In many ways I credit this particular professor with having taught me to be a believer.  He taught me to find evidence in places that other people often don't bother to look.

In his time Jesus went mostly unrecognized for who he was in reality.  The ones who needed evidence didn't see him, but to the believers he said "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see."  Indeed blessed were the believing hearts that beheld what prophets and kings longed and waited for but did not see.

Advent is as much about this special "seeing" as it is about the qualities of vigilance, anticipation, and expectation--all aspects of learning to live out a deeper faith.  We must all be watchful and ever anticipating what lies in the dark of the unseen future.  Seeing what is still not yet is an aspect of true hope, which like the candles of our Advent wreaths leads us step by step to peace, joy, and the final fulfillment of love.  When all is complete that which we have hoped for will appear in the most splendid glory that even the minds eye cannot "phantasy" it.

Indeed many desired to hear--as well--what you hear but did not hear it, though their hearing led them to compose psalms and symphonies.  Many even have heard the Spirit rustling like leaves enough to translate to words that sound so sublime.  Yet in his presence we will hear more.

I recall in my youth, just a child, dreaming of the possibility that I might actually hear the voice of God speak to me as he spoke unto the ancients.  I would ask, "May I please hear you, Lord?" Still he replies, "Can you hear me yet?"  Often, it takes a keen ear to detect the voice of the Spirit but at other times it comes as a shout.

In faith we both see and hear when we set our sights and our hearts on communion with the Almighty.  Our conversation--our envisioning and hearing angel choirs--is not a one-sided dream.  Our hope in the Lord serves to plant that which we long for in our hearts, and we experience a true exchange.  He presents us an evidence that belongs to no other but still that we somehow share between our innermost selves.

Yes many have desired to see and hear these things.  We keep on looking and longing--our desire grows deeper, ever stronger.  Increase our faith O Lord; sharpen our vision and tune our ears.  May that which we see now grow ever clearer.  Open our eyes, our ears, and our hearts this season.  Open us to the evidence of seeing.

Comments

[JustMe]

How do you do that? It's like you're sitting in a room with God, and we overhear you speaking love with Him, but invitedly so!

You've made me think of how it was that Mary of Magdala had eyes and ears well before others did.. as did the beloved disciple, John, as did --above all-- His mother. The Magdalen lost her sight and hearing briefly in her horrendous grief, but He brought her to life again, as always, in His own but now risen life. He can do that -- and wills to do that -- for any of us here in His Advent, if we would keep sale flyers out of our eyes and jingle bells out of our ears for these weeks as best we can. We mean so well, but we lose Him in the crush. Amen, sharpen our vision and tune our ears, Lord.

[Gabrielle]

We do experience a true exchange, a mystical exchange. Advent is such a blessed season, when we can really experience the truth of the fact that with God, there is no time - we wait in joyful hope, in anticipation, of the arrival of He Who already lives in our hearts and souls.